


Sideline Stories: Weight of the World (Lauren)

by UnicornAffair



Series: Wild Pitch [12]
Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Samurai
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Lauren needs a hug, Softball fic, its not much but just wanted to be safe and upfront about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 18:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13932567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair
Summary: “Karone’s not going to break me. Briarwood is not going to break me, no matter how hard she tries” Lauren repeated, like a mantra to keep herself going.Late at night a broken Lauren comes to Mia's door.READ CHAPTER 20 OF WILD PITCH FIRST (a continuation of one of the scenes from that) https://archiveofourown.org/works/10638636/chapters/32018946





	Sideline Stories: Weight of the World (Lauren)

**Author's Note:**

> I know. I literally JUST promised that the next sideline story will be able Gia and Emma and how they became a couple. And that's true that what I was intending to be next. But I'm actually on the road/traveling so I wanted to do this one shot of Lauren/Mia instead like a deleted scene from chapter 20. What happened to Lauren after dropping off Trini the night before the game.

One in the morning on a beautiful night, Lauren Shiba found herself outside of her girlfriend’s house. It was ridiculous. She could have just called, she could have just texted that she was just fine. That didn’t seem right. The Angel Grove softball team captain had gone radio silent for hours, leaving Mia in the dark...wondering if the worst had happened to her. It wouldn’t be the first time a member of the GSA had gone missing...Jayden...what Briarwood had done to him years back still sat in the back of the senior’s mind. With all of the martial arts training, he was still ambushed and dragged into the mountains. Karone wasn’t one to take lightly, and she had the power over _idiots_ like Red to do her dirty work. Lauren struggled with her tormentor for years. _Little Orphan Annie._

Trini had already been thrown into a lake, Red was maced, Riley was taken from his home stripped down and duct taped to a flagpole. There was so much happening back and forth between the two schools. Karone wanted Angel Grove to break, to mentally stomp their spirits down before even entering their match up. 9 letters. 9 girls to protect. Lauren intercepted every envelope and tried to beat the Bulls captain at her own game. She ran herself ragged going the extra mile to defuse the bombs, and put out the fires...they took its toll.

One night at two in the morning she had snuck into the Gomez’s back yard just to make sure every inch of toilet paper was cleared of their yard. Her mind constantly racing to try and figure out _what_ and _how_ Karone was going to go after her team. She could have told someone, but bringing the letters to her girlfriend’s attention would only set her off on a warpath against Briarwood. That wasn’t an option. So she shouldered it all by herself. She took _care_ of it.

 _Lauren Shiba 1:03  
_ _Are you awake?_

The team captain hoped she wouldn’t be, she didn’t want to disturb her girlfriend if she _was_ in fact sleeping. She didn’t want to be a bother, it was late, it was stupid to come here. Maybe just a voicemail would suffice. Speeches to the team was hard enough for her, leaving messages on the phone just made her feel foolish. She would ramble on about nothing, littering her sentences with ums and uh’s as she tried to thread words together. It was too early in the morning, she was too emotionally drained. Cracking in front of Trini was a weakness, she shouldn’t have done that. The sophomore needed someone to look up to that was strong, that could defeat all of the odds and could still carry the weight of the world on her shoulders by standing tall. She _broke,_ she _crumbled_ , it was too hard to hold the weight when her legs shook and she was too damn tired to keep fighting. Crying is for the shower when no one could see.  

Lauren was startled by the front door opening, Mia stood there before her in a pink silk pajama set, white frills along the collar. She was sleeping, and now Lauren interrupted her night. “I was so worried about you” The president of the GSA slowly stepped close and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. 47 group text messages, 19 texts messages and 3 voicemails. Mia had blown up Lauren’s phone and barely got a response back. Relief washed over her, she was able to hold Lauren in her arms, she was _here_ this wasn’t a dream. “...Karone was here…” She kept her voice low, she understood how much the name affected her girlfriend. The blonde didn’t say anything, she only shifted her arms, to hold Mia closer.

To Lauren her body was a shield. She constantly would be using it to protect the ones she loved. Lauren trained each and every day to take the brunt of an altercation, to deescalate a situation. It didn’t matter what kind of bruises and scrapes or wear and tare, happened along the way. Her aches, her pain; to her it was worth it. She did everything in her power to prevent anyone else to feel like she did. The loser, the reject, the lesbian, the outsider, the _orphan_ , the one who’d been kicked to the curb and unwanted. Lauren would shoulder the ugliness of the world so her friends, her family, her team wouldn’t have to.

Mia pressed a soft kiss to Lauren’s cheek, “Let’s get you inside” Sometimes it still amazed Lauren that Mia had chosen her, why? Why was she worth it? She was no one special. When Mia reached down to take Lauren’s hand, the softball captain sharply pulled away, as if Mia’s touch would burn her. The GSA president frowned, she instinctively knew something was wrong. Lauren withdrew into herself, her hands now in her letterman jacket pockets, she turned her head away like a puppy who had known they did something wrong. “Lauren” Mia knew to be gentle when her girlfriend was like this, when she was utterly broken, it wasn’t the first time Lauren had come to her doorstep at an early hour of the morning. “...Let me see…please”

The blonde reluctantly brought her hands out into the open, turning them over so her girlfriend could see the damages under the porchlight. Lauren had asked Tommy Oliver if she could use the batting cages in order to prepare for that game. There she lost track of time, lost in her own head, today she would be facing off with Karone. The team depended on her, Rita depended on her, the damn town depended on her. Lauren Shiba, the best batter Angel Grove had even seen. Hours had gone by in that batting cage, the sting of the bat when making contact of the ball started to feel good. She had control over _something_ that night. Powerful hit after powerful hit until her skin tore underneath the protective gloves, she didn’t care, she only pressed herself further. She needed to be strong, she needed to be the _best;_ there was too much at stake to fail.

Mia’s expression fell at the sight, “Just...stay quiet, everyone’s asleep” As if being quiet would be a problem for Lauren. Mia stepped back into her house, using her cellphone as a lightsource to guide her girlfriend up to her room. She did _not_ need her parents to wake up to the sound of their daughter sneaking her girlfriend into her bedroom late at night. If Terry woke up and found out he would tease his big sis for weeks. Lauren smiled fondly at the boy’s door, with a big old “ _Keep Out”_ sign on it. He wasn’t like Jayden, Terry wasn’t broken, a trait that rang strong in the Shiba bloodline.

Once they got to Mia’s bedroom, the president of the GSA rested her hands on Lauren’s shoulders to sit her down at the foot of the bed. “Just get comfortable” She exited her room to go into the Watanabe’s bathroom, bringing back a first aid kit moments later. While she was out, Lauren shrugged out of her letterman jacket; her protective armor.

Mia gently held Lauren’s wrist, “This is going to sting a little” Best to clean her hands out before wrapping her hands for the night.

Lauren’s lips twitched, a sad smile, “I’ve had worse”

The president of the GSA was nothing but supportive of her girlfriend, even if she hated what softball season could do to her during times of high stress. Lauren loved the game, but the pressures she put on herself to achieve for people who weren’t there to see it was astronomical. Golf season in the fall was nothing like this, the stakes were never this high. Lauren smiled more on the golf course, their game that they could share together. She could never ask her to give up softball, she wouldn’t, but she wished that Lauren would let up...let someone else in.

When Trini and Kimberly joined the team Mia hoped that this year would be different. There’d be other queer girls on the team that Lauren could bond with. Only Trini and Kim brought more drama than peace to Angel Grove. If Mia had to hear the phrase _dropped ball_ again…

Lauren winced, Mia leaned over to kiss the side of her head, “The worlds too heavy to keep lifting it by yourself, give your shoulders a break” And what? Lauren didn’t have that luxury. Too many people were getting hurt over this rivalry. Angel Grove had a _zero tolerance_ policy. Karone would win if girls like Gia or Tanya retaliated.

“I didn’t think she would go after you” Lauren’s blue eyes met Mia’s brown, as a human shield she could take any sort of lashing Karone could send her way but Mia? ...She wasn’t there for her, she wasn’t there for Trini, she failed _again._

“I’m fine” The zillion texts and calls that blew up Lauren’s phone said otherwise. The blonde tilted her head to the side, she knew her girlfriend wasn’t. It didn’t take Mia very long to speak her mind, she was always much better at communicating with her words, “I was scared, that something happened to you, that you were _hurt_. You weren’t returning my texts, my calls…”

Lauren’s head hung low, slowly nodding, she knew...she knew better, she didn’t want to face this. The hurt in her eyes. The worry. She wasn’t worth that. “Do you still have it?”

“The note?” Mia nodded, slowly starting to bandage up her girlfriend’s hand, “Of course I still have it” She wasn’t going to let Lauren _read_ it, now when she was feeling so low, “How many were there? Like this?” This couldn’t have been the _only_ time this had happened, one night before the game? No. Karone was going to drag out her little mind game. “I know there were others”

“Ten” When being asked a direct question Lauren didn’t like to lie, lying made her uncomfortable. That’s why she was never good at it when Trini poked and prodded her with questions.

Mia rested a hand on Lauren’s forearm, stroking warm skin with her thumb. She knew something was off about Lauren this entire week. The team captain was jumpier, sleepier, slow, on some days just down right avoided her. Mia played with the idea that maybe something had been going on with Summer Landsdown, the girl Lauren neglected to tell her was queer...the one she helped come out behind locker room doors. It was a ridiculous thought, Lauren would never cheat. She _could_ never cheat. Mia _knew_ that in her heart, but even so, Lauren didn’t tell her about any of this. After being with her for so long she should have known to trust her. To stop treating herself like she was a burden to bother her. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? Why didn’t you tell _me?”_

Lauren shrugged, that answer wasn’t good enough for Mia. So the girl in the pink pajamas asked it again, softer this time, “Why didn’t you tell me? We could’ve taken this to Rita, to Principal Frank. Get her suspended. Lauren this isn’t healthy…” She glanced down, “You’re hurting _yourself,_ it kills me to see you like this” She reached over to brush some hair behind Lauren’s ear.

“I’m sorry” The blonde murmured, looking down at her hands. “She just….” Gets under her skin like a parasite.

“I know” Now that Lauren’s hands were wrapped, Mia was freed up to comfort her girlfriend, she brought a hand to the side of the blonde’s head, guiding her to relax, she could lean on her shoulder and take a break from playing a hero. “Shh, I know”

Lauren wrapped an arm around Mia’s torso, taking comfort in her presence...they had gone through so much together, even before they had dated. Mia would take comfort in Lauren’s gentle calm presence during the days where she was at her lowest...days where she didn’t think Jayden loved her the same way she loved him. It wasn’t easy to be one of the first openly gay couples in a school that hadn’t quite caught up to acceptance. It sure as hell wasn’t easy for Mia’s parents to accept Lauren as a proper sutor for their daughter.

Mia kissed the top of her girlfriend’s head, rubbing her back. The blonde’s shoulders quaked, she couldn’t allow herself to cry. Not again. Lauren didn’t want to give Karone that satisfaction. In only a few months, Lauren and Mia would both be graduating. This wasn’t _just_ a high school romance to the pair of young women. There’ll be a day when this drama would be a distant memory, where Karone was just another bully. That they could live in a space that felt better than this, a future, one they could share.

“...Spend the night...” It was already late, the pair were already sitting on Mia’s bed, Lauren had an important game later that day. Mia wasn’t _exactly_ the perfect daughter, she wouldn’t feel right sending her girlfriend home. Not when she needed her the most. “You need your rest”

Lauren couldn’t argue, she didn’t want to, not when she was offered a chance to be with her girlfriend. To feel her comforting touch, a reminder that _someone_ loved her, and wanted to be _with_ her. She could never be alone when she had Mia at her side. Lauren numbly nodded, still sitting at the foot of Mia’s bed. She glanced back to the comforter, pink of course, some day Mia would be the one to decorate a place to call their own. A place where Lauren didn’t have a constant reminder that her parents were no longer with her. She loved Shiba Grove, mentor Ji, Jayden and Antonio but...there would always be that dark cloud looming over her head, an emptiness.

Mia had gotten up to flip the switch to the overhead light. Lauren stripped off her jeans, those were _not_ fun to sleep in, and got under the covers. Her arms welcoming Mia as soon as her girlfriend had joined her. “...Thank you…” Lauren didn’t like to be the one having the emotional crisis. She’d much rather be the one to comfort Mia when she put herself on a new social justice mission, or whenever she stressed about an upcoming AP exam.

“I will _always_ be here for you” Mia threaded her fingers through Lauren’s hair, “Whatever you are facing, I want to be there right by your side” And Karone implied that Lauren was spineless, boy she couldn’t be more wrong.

Lauren’s lips pursed, her eyes drifted down to Mia’s lips...she was never great at expressing her feelings with words. Her confessions weren’t eloquent speeches or some sort of poetry. A simple ‘ _I love you’_ would always suffice but tonight...it didn’t feel like it was enough. To _just_ say words. Lauren closed the gap between them, kissing her girlfriends lips, waiting until Mia returned her affections before resting a hand on her hip to pull her closer. Lauren loved feeling the silk of Mia’s pajamas against her fingertips, but she’d rather be touching the warmth of her girlfriend’s skin.

“...Hey...wait mm Lauren” Mia pulled away from their kiss, keeping a hand on her girlfriend’s neck. She glanced over Lauren’s features as best as she could in the darkness. Lauren’s baby blue’s were pleading with her, she desperately wanted this, to feel something _anything_ other than overwhelming sense of responsibility to her team. Lauren was tired of feeling kicked down and broken by a sadistic rival. “What’re we doing?” She could see the alarm clock on her end table, the clock was now flashing two in the morning. Thirteen hours before the big showdown against Briarwood. Lauren would never forgive herself if she didn’t get enough sleep.

“...I need you” It was simple, Lauren _needed_ Mia to balance her out, to be her rock when life was too challenging to face alone. The blonde’s hand brushed under Mia’s top, with the bandages on her hand it was difficult for Lauren to get a full sensation. She chanced pecking Mia’s lips, her eyes searching for the permission to continue. “I _love_ you” She breathed out, her love for her girlfriend was _exactly_ why Karone came and dropped off that letter. By hurting Mia, she would in turn hurt Lauren-bitch 101 at its finest. Lauren wanted to show just how much Mia meant to her, “Please I ah….” She shook her head, it was much easier to be vulnerable in the dark, “...You make me feel whole”

Mia didn’t need to hear anymore, her lips gently pressed against Lauren’s, she wanted to start off slow. Gentle. Careful with Lauren’s heart. Soft kisses soon became more desperate, lips crashing against one another, muffling moans so Mia’s parents wouldn’t hear. Lauren tried not to think about the bandages on her hands, preventing her from getting the full experience of _feeling_ Mia the way she’d like to. Soon enough Mia’s silk pajamas were casted to the side, they made love until they both quietly got to a sweet release. Tonight, Lauren didn’t have to be the strong one, she felt safe resting her head on Mia’s chest, in Mia’s arms, warmth coming from under a pink comforter. She could shake the grip Karone had on her...if only for a little while…

**Author's Note:**

> okay for sure the NEXT sideline story WILL be Giemma.


End file.
